Norton Mercury restoration Messenger of the lods...
YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME. APPEARANCES can be deceptive. All that glitters is not gold... there are any number of old sayings and clichés to be used when something is purchased that looks good, but then turns out not to be quite as good as its appearance would have you believe.
I had only been living at this address a short while and was still in the process of trying to get a tip into something like semblance of a home. Respite was in the form of my Hinckley Bonneville SE, which, having been used regularly, was in need of a wash and brush-up. So, there I was on the front drive, armed with bucket of hot water, shampoo, polish et al, minding my own business, neither knowing of nor known by any of my new neighbours when a lady walked by and engaged me in an introductory conversation.
“Motorbike man, are you?” was her opening gambit, to which I replied in the affirmative.
“My husband’s got a motorbike” she continued. Feigning interest, I politely asked what sort and was surprised when she replied: “It’s a Norton, but he hasn’t ridden it for years.”
Trying not to look too excited, I asked what model it was. “It’s got a name,” was the reply. I went through various names with a rapidly sinking feeling: “Commando? Dominator? Navigator? Jubilee...?” All were met with
